Indicating charge status

ABSTRACT

Charging/recharging systems and charge status indicators are provided. In one implementation, a charge status indicator includes a charge sensing device configured to sense the charge of a rechargeable power supply. The charge status indicator further includes a detection device configured to compare the sensed charge with a plurality of predetermined levels in order to determine one of a plurality of capacity ranges of the rechargeable power supply. The charge status indicator also includes a first light emitting diode (LED), a second LED, and a switching circuit configured to switch the first and second LEDs on and off using a plurality of predefined illumination patterns to indicate the capacity range of the rechargeable power supply.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/869,844, filed Jan. 12, 2018, the entire contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to portable electronic devices and moreparticularly relates to devices for indicating the charge status ofrechargeable power supplies used for powering the portable electronicdevices.

BACKGROUND

Generally speaking, portable electronic devices are included in manyaspects of everyday life. Examples of some portable electronic devicesmay include cell phones, wireless landline telephones, electric razors,calculators, wireless computer peripherals, radios, flashlights,wireless barcode scanners, just to name a few. Typically, these portabledevices are powered by primary cell (non-rechargeable) batteries orsecondary cell (rechargeable) batteries.

Although rechargeable batteries are normally a better economic choicethan primary cell batteries and add less toxic waste to landfills, otherpower sources are available for powering portable electronic devices.For example, supercapacitors are a battery-free alternative thatprovides many advantages over conventional batteries.

Although supercapacitors do not hold a charge for as long as batteries,supercapacitors are able to be charged or recharged much faster thanrechargeable batteries. Also, supercapacitors can be discharged andrecharged hundreds of thousands of times without losing their chargingcapacity. On the other hand, rechargeable batteries may only be able tobe discharged and recharged a few hundred times before their chargingcapacity declines to a point of no longer being usable.

Another advantage is that supercapacitors do not degrade likerechargeable batteries and therefore may never need to be replaced.Also, since there are no chemical reactions involved in the charging anddischarging of supercapacitors, there is therefore no decay of chemicalmaterials. Thus, supercapacitors can eliminate the environmental issuesassociated with the use and disposal of primary cell batteries andrechargeable batteries.

Because of the familiarity with rechargeable batteries, many users mayhave become accustomed to the practice of charging, discharging, andrecharging of rechargeable batteries. Particularly, users may be awarethat charging batteries before a first use may take hours and thatrecharging the batteries may take 10-30 minutes, depending on the typeof batteries being used. Therefore, a user might repeatedly check thestatus of the battery charging process until the batteries areeventually ready to be used. Typically, there may be a single indicatorfor indicating that the rechargeable batteries are ready to be used.

However, since supercapacitors are charged, discharged, and rechargedmuch faster than batteries, a new type of charge status indicationprocess would be beneficial for users. Therefore, a need exists for acharge status indicator for indicating more information regarding thecharge of a rechargeable power supply, particularly a rechargeablesupercapacitor. In this way, a user can be informed of the variousstages of charge status levels of the supercapacitors.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, in one aspect, the present invention embraces systems,devices, and methods for indicating the charge status of power suppliesused for providing power to portable electronic devices. In particular,with the advent of new power supply technologies, such assupercapacitors, that are now being used in common electronic devices,charge status can be indicated to the user in a faster way and in a waythat expresses more information than what is typically provided.

In an exemplary embodiment, a charging system is provided. The chargingsystem includes a handheld electronic device having a rechargeable powersupply and a base charger configured to support the handheld electronicdevice during a charging stage. The base charger is configured toprovide electric charge to the handheld electronic device during thecharging stage to recharge the rechargeable power supply. The chargingsystem further includes a charge sensor configured to sense the chargeof the rechargeable power supply and a detection device configured tocompare the sensed charge of the rechargeable power supply with aplurality of predetermined charge levels in order to determine one of aplurality of capacity ranges of the rechargeable power supply. Thecharging system also includes a charge status indicator comprises firstand second light emitting diodes (LEDs) and a switching circuit. Theswitching circuit of the charge status indicator is configured to switchthe first and second LEDs according to one of a plurality of predefinedillumination patterns to indicate a capacity range of the rechargeablepower supply corresponding to the capacity range determined by thedetection device.

In another exemplary embodiment, a recharging device is provided. Inthis embodiment, the recharging device comprises a charging cradleconfigured to support a handheld electronic device during a chargingstage. The charging cradle is configured to supply electric power to thehandheld electronic device during the charging stage to recharge asupercapacitor of the handheld electronic device. The recharging devicealso includes a charge status indicator comprising first and secondlight emitting diodes (LEDs) and a control circuit. Also, the rechargingdevice includes a sensor configured to continuously sense the charge ofthe supercapacitor to determine one of a plurality of capacity ranges ofthe supercapacitor. The control circuit of the charge status indicatoris configured to switch the first and second LEDs on and off using aplurality of predefined illumination patterns to indicate the capacityrange of the supercapacitor determined by the sensor.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, a charge status indicator includesa charge sensing device configured to sense the charge of a rechargeablepower supply and a detection device configured to compare the sensedcharge with a plurality of predetermined levels in order to determineone of a plurality of capacity ranges of the rechargeable power supply.The charge status indicator further includes a first light emittingdiode (LED), a second LED, and a switching circuit configured to switchthe first and second LEDs on and off using a plurality of predefinedillumination patterns to indicate the capacity range of the rechargeablepower supply.

The foregoing illustrative summary, as well as other exemplaryobjectives and/or advantages of the invention, and the manner in whichthe same are accomplished, are further explained within the followingdetailed description and its accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a perspective view of a charging systemaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a top view of the recharging device shownin FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a perspective view of the portableelectronic device shown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a perspective view of a charging systemaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a block diagram of a charge statusindicator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a chart showing various illuminationpatterns of LEDs for indicating the status of a rechargeable powersupply according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention embraces charging systems for charging and/orrecharging a rechargeable power supply. In particular, the rechargeablepower supplies described in the present disclosure may includesupercapacitors in place of conventional rechargeable batteries.Furthermore, the present invention is directed to charge statusindicators and other systems for indicating the charge status of therechargeable power supply or supercapacitors.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a charging system 10.In this embodiment, the charging system 10 includes a wirelesselectronic device 12 and a recharging device 14. The wireless electronicdevice 12 may be a handheld device, such as a wireless barcode scanneror laser scanner. In other embodiments, the wireless electronic device12 may include other types of portable devices, such as wirelesslandline telephones, electric razors, calculators, flashlights, etc.

The recharging device 14 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes a cradle16 and a base 18. The cradle 16 may be designed to support the wirelesselectronic device 12 and may include electrical contacts (not shown) formaking electrical connection with the wireless electronic device 12. Inthis manner, electrical power can be provided to the wireless electronicdevice 12 from the cradle 16 to charge or recharge a rechargeable powersupply (not shown) attached externally to a housing 20 of the wirelesselectronic device 12 or disposed inside the housing 20 of the wirelesselectronic device 12. The rechargeable power supply may include one ormore supercapacitors.

In some embodiments, the wireless electronic device 12 may include acharge status indicator 22 for indicating the charge status of therechargeable power supply. As shown, the charge status indicator 22 mayinclude a first indicator 24 and a second indicator 26. The first andsecond indicators 24, 26 may be light emitting diodes (LEDs). Accordingto other embodiments, a second charge status indicator 32 may beincorporated in the base 18. The second charge status indicator 32 mayalso include a first indicator (e.g., LED) 34 and a second indicator(e.g., LED) 36.

The first and second indicators 24, 26 of the charge status indicator 22may be positioned in two different locations, as shown, to give theappearance of separate indicators. In an alternative embodiment, theindicators 24, 26 may be located under an opaque window to give theappearance of the same indicator providing two (or more) differentcolors of light. With an opaque or semi-opaque window, a user wouldperceive that the light may be coming from the same location and may notnotice the difference in the locations of the yellow and green LEDs.Likewise, the first and second indicators 34, 36 of the charge statusindicator 32 may also be positioned in different locations (as shown) orunder the same opaque window to give the perception of the same locationwith different colors.

One embodiment may include incorporating the charge status indicator 22only on the wireless electronic device 12. A second embodiment mayinclude incorporating the charge status indicator 32 only on the base18. A third embodiment may include incorporating the two charge statusindicators 22, 32 on both the wireless electronic device 12 and base 18,respectively.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the base 18 of the rechargingdevice 14 may be configured to hold the cradle 16 above a surface toenable a user to easily engage the wireless electronic device 12 withthe cradle 16. Also, the base 18 may include a power cord (not shown)that can be plugged into an electrical outlet, allowing power to besupplied from the outlet to the charging system 10 for charging therechargeable power supply of the wireless electronic device 12.

FIG. 2 is a top view of an embodiment of the recharging device 14 shownin FIG. 1 with the wireless electronic device 12 removed. In addition tothe elements described with respect to FIG. 1 , the cradle 16 of therecharging device 14 further comprises electrical contacts 40 forcommunicating with the wireless electronic device 12 when it is properlyseated in the cradle 16. The electrical contacts 40 are configured toprovide power to the wireless electronic device 12 for recharging therechargeable power supply. The electrical contacts 40 are alsoconfigured to communicate charge status information from the wirelesselectronic device 12 to the recharging device 14, particularly withrespect to embodiments in which the recharging device 14 includes thecharge status indicator 32. The electrical contacts 40 may also beconfigured to electrically communicate other signals as needed.

The recharging device 14 may further include a power indicator 42incorporated on the base 18. The power indicator 42 may be configured toindicate when power is being supplied to the recharging device 14 fromthe electrical outlet allowing the recharging device 14 to properlycharge or recharge the rechargeable power supply of the wirelesselectronic device 12.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the wireless electronicdevice 12 shown in FIG. 1 . For example, the wireless electronic device12 may be a wireless barcode scanner. In addition to the features shownand described with respect to FIG. 1 , the wireless electronic device 12may further include contacts 50 configured for making electricalconnection with the electrical contacts 40 of the cradle 16 (FIG. 2 ).Therefore, when the wireless electronic device 12 is properly seated ornested on the cradle 16, the contacts 50 are configured to touch theelectrical contacts 40 of the cradle 16. As mentioned above, when thecontacts 40, 50 are connected, electrical power can be provided to therechargeable power supply as needed for charging or recharging therechargeable power supply. Also, other communication signals may beshared between the wireless electronic device 12 and the rechargingdevice 14 via the contacts 40, 50.

Therefore, according to one implementation, the charging system 10(FIGS. 1-3 ) comprises a handheld electronic device (e.g., wirelesselectronic device 12) having a rechargeable power supply. The chargingsystem 10 also includes a base charger or recharging device 14configured to support the handheld electronic device during a chargingstage. A charge status indicator (e.g., one or both of charge statusindicators 22, 32) comprises first and second LEDs (e.g., LEDs 24, 26 orLEDs 34, 36) and a switching circuit. The base charger is configured toprovide electric charge to the handheld electronic device during thecharging stage to recharge the rechargeable power supply of the handheldelectronic device. The charge status indicator 22, 32 comprises a chargesensor for sensing the charge of the rechargeable power supply. Thecharge status indicator 22, 32 further comprises a detection deviceconfigured to compare the sensed charge of the rechargeable power supplywith a plurality of predetermined charge levels in order to determineone of a plurality of capacity ranges of the rechargeable power supply.The switching circuit of the charge status indicator 22, 32 isconfigured to switch the first and second LEDs (e.g., LEDs 24, 26 orLEDs 34, 36) on and off in one of a plurality of predefined illuminationpatterns (or on/off patterns) to indicate a capacity range of therechargeable power supply corresponding to the capacity range determinedby the detection device.

In some embodiments, the charge status indicator 32 is incorporated inthe base charger (e.g., recharging device 14). In another embodiment,the charge status indicator 22 is incorporated in the handheldelectronic device. Specifically, the rechargeable power supply mayinclude at least one supercapacitor. The handheld electronic device maybe a wireless barcode scanner.

The plurality of capacity ranges may include a first range designating a“near empty” status, a second range designating a “ready to use” status,a third range designating a “greater than half capacity” status, and afourth range designating an “at or near full capacity” status. Theswitching circuit may be configured to switch the first and second LEDsin a first predefined illumination pattern (or on/off pattern) when thecharge of the rechargeable power supply falls within the first range, asecond predefined illumination pattern when the charge of therechargeable power supply falls within the second range, a thirdpredefined illumination pattern when the charge of the rechargeablepower supply falls within the third range, and a fourth predefinedillumination pattern when the charge of the rechargeable power supplyfalls within the fourth range. In particular, the first predefinedillumination pattern may include repeating a cycle of switching thefirst LED on for about 500 ms and off for about 500 ms. The secondpredefined illumination pattern may include repeating a cycle ofswitching the second LED on for about 500 ms and off for about 500 ms.The third predefined illumination pattern may include repeating a cycleof switching the second LED on for about 1000 ms and off for about 500ms. Also, the fourth predefined illumination pattern may includeswitching the second LED on.

In one example, the first LED may be a yellow LED and the second LED maybe a green LED. The switching circuit may be configured to switch thefirst and second LEDs off when the base charger is not charging therechargeable power supply or when the handheld electronic device is notproperly supported by the base charger. Furthermore, the switchingcircuit may be configured to switch at least one of the first and secondLEDs in a rapid on/off pattern when at least one of the charge sensorand detection device detects a charging error or a condition in whichthe charging has been suspended.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a charging system50. In this embodiment, the charging system 50 includes a wirelesselectronic device 52 and a recharging device 54. The wireless electronicdevice 52 may be a handheld device, such as a wireless barcode scanneror laser scanner. In other embodiments, the wireless electronic device52 may include other types of portable devices, such as wirelesslandline telephones, electric razors, calculators, flashlights, etc.

The recharging device 54 in the embodiment of FIG. 4 includes a basethat acts as a cradle for supporting the wireless electronic device 52during charging. The recharging device 54 may be designed to support thewireless electronic device 52 and may include electrical contacts (notshown) for making electrical connection with the wireless electronicdevice 52. In this manner, electrical power can be provided to thewireless electronic device 52 from the recharging device 54 to charge orrecharge a rechargeable power supply (not shown) attached externally tothe wireless electronic device 52 or disposed inside a housing of thewireless electronic device 52. The rechargeable power supply may includeone or more supercapacitors.

In some embodiments, the wireless electronic device 52 may include acharge status indicator 56 for indicating the charge status of therechargeable power supply. As shown, the charge status indicator 56 mayinclude a first indicator 58 and a second indicator 60. The first andsecond indicators 58, 60 may be light emitting diodes (LEDs). Accordingto other embodiments, a second charge status indicator 62 may beincorporated in the recharging device 54. The second charge statusindicator 62 may also include first and second LEDs.

One embodiment may include incorporating the charge status indicator 56only on the wireless electronic device 52. A second embodiment mayinclude incorporating the charge status indicator 62 only on therecharging device 54. A third embodiment may include incorporating thetwo charge status indicators 56, 62 on both the wireless electronicdevice 52 and recharging device 54, respectively.

According to the embodiment of FIG. 4 , the recharging device 54 may beconfigured to support the wireless electronic device 52 in an uprightmanner. Also, the recharging device 54 may include a power cord (notshown) that can be plugged into an electrical outlet, allowing power tobe supplied from the outlet to the charging system 50 for charging therechargeable power supply of the wireless electronic device 52.

The charge status indicator 62 may be built into an oval page buttonthat may be used for paging the wireless electronic device 52. The ovalpage button may include an opaque or semi-opaque material through whichlight from one or more indicators may be diffused. One side (e.g., theleft side) of the oval page button may comprise the charge statusindicator 62, which may include a first indicator (e.g., a green LED)and a second indicator (e.g., a yellow LED) underneath the opaque orsemi-opaque material. The user may perceive the color change when one orthe other of the indicators is illuminated, but may not necessarilynotice the change in the location of the indicators underneath thebutton. In some embodiments, the other side (e.g., the right side) ofthe oval page button may include a third indicator (e.g., a red LED)used for other indications, such as a “power on” indication or a pagingoperation.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a charge statusindicator 60. The charge status indicator 60 of FIG. 5 may represent anembodiment of the charge status indicator 22 incorporated on thewireless electronic device 12 and/or an embodiment of the charge statusindicator 32 incorporated on the recharging device 14. According to someembodiments, portions of the charge status indicator 60 may beincorporated in the wireless electronic device 12 while other portionsof the charge status indicator 60 may be incorporated in the rechargingdevice 14.

In this embodiment, the charge status indicator 60 includes a sensor 62,memory 64, a charge level comparing unit 66, an output control unit 68,and output devices 70. The sensor 62 may be a charge sensor for sensingthe stored charge of the rechargeable power supply. The memory 64 may beconfigured to store various charge level values. The charge levelcomparing unit 66 is configured to compare the charge sensed by thesensor 62 with the various charge level values stored in the memory 64.

Based on the comparison made by the charge level comparing unit 66, thecharge level comparing unit 66 and/or the output control unit 68 may beconfigured to determine one of multiple different ranges within whichthe sensed charge level lies. Once the range is detected, the outputcontrol unit 68 is configured to control the output devices 70 toindicate the detected range to the user.

The output devices 70 may include visual and/or audible indicatingdevices. For example, the output devices 70 may include two LEDs forvisually indicating the charge status. In this sense, the output controlunit 68 may be configured as a switching control device for switchingthe LEDs on and off according to predefined patterns. The predefinedpatterns may include signals that can intuitively communicate variouscharge status levels to the user. For instance, the output devices 70may include a first LED having one color (e.g., yellow) and a second LEDhaving another color (e.g., green).

According to one embodiment, the charge status indicator 60 may includea charge sensing device (e.g., sensor 62) configured to sense the chargeof a rechargeable power supply. The charge status indicator 60 mayfurther includes a detection device (e.g., charge level comparing unit66) configured to compare the sensed charge with a plurality ofpredetermined levels in order to determine one of a plurality ofcapacity ranges of the rechargeable power supply. The charge statusindicator 60 also include the output devices 70, such as a first LED anda second LED. Also, a switching circuit (e.g., output control unit 68)is configured to switch the first and second LEDs on and off using aplurality of predefined illumination (or on/off) patterns to indicatethe capacity range of the rechargeable power supply.

Furthermore, the rechargeable power supply may include at least onesupercapacitor and may be incorporated in a wireless barcode scanner.The charge status indicator may additionally or alternatively beincorporated in a cradle (e.g., recharging device 14) that is configuredto support the wireless barcode scanner during a charging process,wherein the cradle may be further configured to provide electric chargeto the wireless barcode scanner during the charging process to rechargethe supercapacitor of the wireless barcode scanner.

The plurality of capacity ranges may include a first range designating a“near empty” status, a second range designating a “ready to use” status,a third range designating a “greater than half capacity” status, and afourth range designating an “at or near full capacity” status. Theswitching circuit (e.g., output control unit 68) may be configured toswitch the first and second LEDs in a first predefined illuminationpattern when the charge of the rechargeable power supply falls withinthe first range, a second predefined illumination pattern when thecharge of the rechargeable power supply falls within the second range, athird predefined illumination pattern when the charge of therechargeable power supply falls within the third range, and a fourthpredefined illumination pattern when the charge of the rechargeablepower supply falls within the fourth range. For example, the firstpredefined illumination pattern may include repeating a cycle ofswitching the first LED on for about 500 ms and off for about 500 ms,the second predefined illumination pattern may include repeating a cycleof switching the second LED on for about 500 ms and off for about 500ms, the third predefined illumination pattern may include repeating acycle of switching the second LED on for about 1000 ms and off for about500 ms, and the fourth predefined illumination pattern may includeswitching the second LED on indefinitely.

In addition, the switching circuit (e.g., output control unit 68) may beconfigured to switch the first and second LEDs off when the base chargeris not charging the rechargeable power supply or when the handheldelectronic device is not properly supported by the base charger. Theswitching circuit may also be configured to switch at least one of thefirst and second LEDs in a rapid on/off pattern when the charge sensingdevice or detection device detects a charging error or a condition inwhich the charging process has been suspended.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a chart 80 showing exemplary implementations ofillumination or on/off patterns of the output devices 70 for indicatingthe status of the rechargeable power supply. The chart 80 defines thesignals that may be provided by the output control unit 68 (or switchingcircuit) for controlling the illumination of the output devices 70(e.g., LEDs). In this embodiment, the indicators or output devices 70include a first LED (i.e., “LED #1”) and a second LED (i.e., “LED #2”).According to other embodiments, the charge status indicator 60 mayinclude additional LEDs (e.g., three or more LEDs).

According to the chart 80 of FIG. 6 , the output control unit 68 isconfigured to switch the LEDs on and off in predefined patternsdepending on the detected status. When the wireless electronic device 12(e.g., barcode scanner) is absent (i.e., not seated in the cradle 16),both LEDs may be off to indicate a “Scanner Absent” status or other“wireless electronic device absent” status. If a charging error isdetected, one or both of the LEDs may be switched on and off in a rapidpattern (e.g., 300 ms on and 300 ms off). This on/off cycle is repeatedindefinitely until another condition is detected.

The indicators may also indicate a “near empty” status, which may beindicated by a repeating on/off pattern of LED #1 (e.g., yellow LED),such as a pattern of 500 ms on and 500 ms off. The second LED isswitched off. The “near empty” indication may represent a condition inwhich the rechargeable power supply is currently holding a charge at 0%to about 25% full capacity.

A “ready to use” status may be defined by switching LED #2 (e.g., greenLED) repeatedly on and off in a signal pattern of 500 ms high (i.e., on)and 500 ms low (i.e., off). The first LED is switched off during thistime. The “ready to use” indication may represent a condition in whichthe rechargeable power supply is currently holding a charge of about 25%to about 50% of full capacity. As an example, when the rechargeablepower supply is a supercapacitor and the wireless electronic device is abarcode scanner, the “ready to use” indication may signal to the userthat the barcode scanner can be used to scan at least a few barcodesbefore the rechargeable power supply needs to be recharged further.

A “half capacity” status may be defined by switching LED #1 off andswitching LED #2 on and off in a pattern of one second at a high signal(i.e., on) and 500 ms at a low signal (i.e., off). The “half capacity”indication may represent a condition in which the rechargeable powersupply is currently holding a charge of about 50% to about 75% of fullcapacity.

The status of “full capacity” or “near full capacity” may be defined byswitching LED #2 on indefinitely and LED #1 is switched off. The “fullcapacity” indication may represent a condition in which the rechargeablepower supply is currently holding a charge of about 75% to 100% of fullcapacity.

It should be noted that other embodiments may include different outputdevices 70 or a different number of LEDs. Other embodiments may alsoinclude different colors of LEDs and/or different timing signals forswitching the LEDs on and off. Also, other embodiments may be used toindicate different ranges of charges with respect to full capacity.

To supplement the present disclosure, this application incorporatesentirely by reference the following commonly assigned patents, patentapplication publications, and patent applications:

U.S. Pat. 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In the specification and/or figures, typical embodiments of theinvention have been disclosed. The present invention is not limited tosuch exemplary embodiments. The use of the term “and/or” includes anyand all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Thefigures are schematic representations and so are not necessarily drawnto scale. Unless otherwise noted, specific terms have been used in ageneric and descriptive sense and not for purposes of limitation.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: sensing, by a chargesensor in a handheld electronic device, a charge of a rechargeable powersupply in the handheld electronic device; determining, by a charge levelcomparing unit in the handheld electronic device, whether the handheldelectronic device is able to perform a function based on a comparison ofthe charge of the rechargeable power supply and a predetermined chargelevel; and in response to determining that the handheld electronicdevice is able to perform the function, generating an illuminationpattern of a plurality of illumination patterns by switching a pluralityof LEDs to indicate that the handheld electronic device is able toperform the function before the rechargeable power supply needs to berecharged further, wherein the plurality of LEDs is incorporated into(1) the handheld electronic device and (2) a base charger configured tosupport the handheld electronic device.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein at least one of the plurality of illumination patterns indicatesa “ready to use” status by switching at least one LED of the pluralityof LEDs repeatedly on and off in a signal pattern of high and low. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein switching the plurality of LEDs comprisesswitching, by a switching circuit, one or more LEDs for one or moretiming signals.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detectingat least one of a charging error and a condition in which charging hasbeen suspended, by at least the charge sensor and a detection device inthe handheld electronic device; and switching at least one LED of theplurality of LEDs in a rapid on/off pattern.
 5. The method of claim 1,further comprising: switching, by a switching circuit, a first LED and asecond LED of the plurality of LEDs according to a first illuminationpattern when the charge of the rechargeable power supply falls within afirst range; switching, by the switching circuit, the first LED and thesecond LED according to a second illumination pattern when the charge ofthe rechargeable power supply falls within a second range; switching, bythe switching circuit, the first LED and the second LED according to athird predefined illumination pattern when the charge of therechargeable power supply falls within a third range; and switching, bythe switching circuit, the first LED and the second LED according to afourth predefined illumination pattern when the charge of therechargeable power supply falls within a fourth range.
 6. The method ofclaim 5, wherein switching the first LED on for about 500 ms and off forabout 500 ms by repeating a cycle of switching as the first illuminationpattern; switching the second LED on for about 500 ms and off for about500 ms by repeating a cycle of switching as the second illuminationpattern; switching the second LED on for about 1000 ms and off for about500 ms by repeating a cycle of switching as the third illuminationpattern; and switching the second LED on as the fourth illuminationpattern.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein designating, a “near empty”status, a “ready to use” status, a “greater than half capacity” status,and an “at or near full capacity” status as a first, second, third andfourth range respectively of a plurality of capacity ranges.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the illumination pattern indicates a “nearempty” status by a condition in which the rechargeable power supply iscurrently holding a charge at 0% to about 25% full capacity.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the illumination pattern indicates a “readyto use” status by a condition in which the rechargeable power supply iscurrently holding a charge of about 25% to about 50% of full capacity.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination pattern indicates a“half capacity” status by a condition in which the rechargeable powersupply is currently holding a charge of about 50% to about 75% of fullcapacity.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination patternindicates a status of “full capacity” or “near full capacity” by acondition in which the rechargeable power supply is currently holding acharge of about 75% to 100% of full capacity.
 12. A charge statusindicator incorporated in a handheld electronic device, comprising: acharge sensing device configured to sense a charge of a rechargeablepower supply incorporated in the handheld electronic device; a comparingdevice configured to determine whether the handheld electronic device isable to perform a function based on a comparison of the sensed chargeand a predetermined charge level; and a switching circuit configured to,in response to a determination that the handheld electronic device isable to perform the function, switch a plurality of LEDs on and offusing an illumination pattern of a plurality of illumination patterns toindicate a that the handheld electronic device is able to perform thefunction before the rechargeable power supply needs to be rechargedfurther, wherein the plurality of LEDs is incorporated into (1) thehandheld electronic device and (2) a base charger configured to supportthe handheld electronic device.
 13. The charge status indicator of claim12, wherein the switching circuit is configured to indicate a pluralityof capacity ranges comprising a first range designating a “near empty”status, a second range designating a “ready to use” status, a thirdrange designating a “greater than half capacity” status, and a fourthrange designating an “at or near full capacity” status.
 14. The chargestatus indicator of claim 12, wherein the rechargeable power supply isrecharged when the handheld electronic device is placed on the basecharger, and wherein the switching circuit is configured to switch theat least one LED of the plurality of LEDs off when the base charger isnot charging the rechargeable power supply or when the handheldelectronic device is not properly supported by a charging cradle. 15.The charge status indicator of claim 12, wherein the switching circuit,in response to detecting a charging error, is configured to switch atleast one LED of the plurality of LEDs on and off in a rapid pattern,wherein the rapid pattern is repeated indefinitely until anothercondition is detected.
 16. The charge status indicator of claim 12,wherein the switching circuit is configured to switch at least one LEDof the plurality of LEDs on and off for different timing signals. 17.The charge status indicator of claim 12, wherein at least one LED of theplurality of LEDs indicates different ranges of charge with respect to“full capacity” status.
 18. The charge status indicator of claim 12,wherein the charge status indicator includes a button of an opaque orsemi-opaque material through which light from one or more LEDs diffuses.19. The button according to claim 18, wherein the button includes LEDsof different colors underneath the opaque or semi-opaque material suchthat a user perceives a color change of one or more LEDs of the LEDs anddoes not notice a change in location of the one or more LEDs underneaththe opaque or semi-opaque material.
 20. The charge status indicatoraccording to claim 12, wherein a memory is configured to store variouscharge level values.